


i got smarter, i got harder in the nick of time

by dreamer89



Series: slytherin goals [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Aurors, DMLE | Department of Magical Law Enforcement (Harry Potter), Fix-It, Friendship, Gen, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Spoilers, Humor, Pansy Parkinson is a Good Friend, Redemption, Slytherin Pride, squad goals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:02:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22192240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamer89/pseuds/dreamer89
Summary: In 2020, Theodore Nott is arrested and his wife Daphne is brought in for questioning. But she insists he is innocent, and with the support of her Slytherin crew, is able to clear his name. Minor fix-it for Cursed Child.
Relationships: Daphne Greengrass/Theodore Nott, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Pansy Parkinson/Charlie Weasley
Series: slytherin goals [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601380
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot how Theodore Nott randomly gets mentioned in Cursed Child but without much explanation. Felt like he was thrown under the bus to move the plot along. So I decided to fix it myself because why not?

**2020**

The Aurors came for Daphne without warning. She was still confused about what was happening as she sat in a small room with what she knew was an enchanted one-way mirror. They had taken her wand, and nobody at the DMLE knew British Sign Language or were even familiar enough with her magical accommodations. She gathered that there was something involving Theo, but she hadn’t been able to find out anything more. The Aurors had left her alone after she couldn’t respond to any of their questions. Daphne had refused to provide a written statement--not when they were blatantly unprepared to encounter a Deaf witch. Then the Head of the Auror Office arrived but was no help at all, and soon he was on his way out too.

Eventually, Harry Potter (as the Department Head) entered the room carrying a spelled parchment that would allow her to understand what was being said. They were accusing Theo of Dark conspiracies and creating illegal Time-Turners--and threatening Azkaban. But the parchment was old and lagging in translation speed. The exact charges still weren’t clear to her. She was so, so tired of Deaf people being treated this way, like an afterthought. Daphne kept insisting she didn’t know anything, trying to make Potter see that this must all be a misunderstanding.

That’s when none other than Pansy Parkinson burst through the door, followed by the two junior officers who had been questioning Daphne before. Pansy’s haughty air softened when she saw the frustration and fear in her friend’s eyes, and she started signing, telling her that everything would be alright. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Harry asked. 

“Read the Wizarding Disabilities Act of 2009; I am allowed in the interrogation room to serve as her interpreter and also in an emotional support capacity.”

“What should stop us from arresting you as well and putting you in your own cell?” the youngest Auror asked rather rudely.

It was an empty threat, but Daph looked even more afraid. Pansy knew she had to do something to distract her, and thought back to a few days ago when she had made Charlie laugh by imitating Muggle teenagers on the Internet.

“First, I don’t think you have the facilities for that big man, second, I’ll take you to court for detaining me unlawfully, and third, I dare you to arrest me because this is what my mugshot is going to be like, so put that in the  _ Prophet _ .” Pansy then launched into a succession of jerky dance moves. The sound of Daphne’s bewildered giggles was worth it, and she won bonus points because Harry looked like he had seen an Inferius. 

Pansy continued, “Now, I am going to remain with Daphne until your time limit to detain her expires. She no longer wishes to answer any further questions, however.” Pansy turned to Daphne and signed, “We are going to stall, until they are forced to release you, while the others sort out Theo’s situation. But I have a plan to get you your freedom quickly.” 

“What are you going to do?” Daphne signed back.

Pansy smirked. “Annoy them until they break, of course. I was a drama queen at school and I’ve been a Weasley girlfriend for over ten years. I was made for this role, Daphne.”

“I hope you enjoy this as much as I will, boys,” Pansy said to the three Aurors. “I’m very familiar with the law. As long as Daphne or I, as her representative, are speaking, there need to be at least two witnesses. Wouldn’t want to miss a crucial piece of information, or even a threat of self-harm from a vulnerable person, now would you?”

Harry turned to his junior colleagues. “She has us by the bollocks, I’m afraid. You two stay. I’ll pop in to check on you occasionally.” He went to his office and sent an owl to Ginny to let her know he’d probably be stuck at work all night. Then he started to attack the pile of paperwork he’d been neglecting, which he knew would be a picnic compared to Pansy. But he did venture out to check up on the Aurors as promised:

**23:32**

“...and soooo, Sally can wait, she knows it’s too late…” Harry got the feeling that she was just warming up with this set of Nineties songs. Daphne was smirking, having fully caught on to Pansy’s strategy. The Deaf woman didn’t have to listen to her, after all. 

**23:58**

“...when you walk through a storm, hold your HEAD UP HIGH…” She had moved on to the anthem of the Harpies, coincidentally the same one used by a Muggle football team.

**00:17**

“Do you people know how many verses I wrote to ‘Weasley Is Our King’? I can do this all night.”

**00:41**

“...So, a dyslexic--that’s me--walks into a bra...ah ha ha ha, I crack myself up, I really do...”

**01:09**

“...Ooooh, gonna brew you up a cauldron of hot...strong...looooove!...”

**01:39**

“...second verse, same as the first! I’M WULFRIC THE FIFTH, I AM…”

By the time the clock struck two, Harry decided that Steward and Dowson were competent enough to handle the situation on their own. He returned to his office and thought he would just rest his eyes for a second. He was woken up by the junior Aurors who weren’t considerate enough to knock before barging in.

“Where’s Mrs. Nott?”

“Sorry, sir, we cut her loose. We could not take it anymore,” Dowson said. 

“She wasn’t going to give us anything useful, and we deserve danger money for what we’ve endured tonight,” echoed Steward.

Harry sighed. “Well, I’m sure Parkinson will be thrilled to hear these reviews,” he remarked.

“You lucky bastard, you bailed before she got to her favourite Whitney Houston songs.”

“No, the worst was when she started doing impressions around four a.m. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same,” argued Dowson.

The two Aurors started bickering about which part of Pansy’s performance was the most annoying, before Harry urged them to both shut up. 

“I don’t have time for this; let’s focus on the case. Nott Junior’s still in a holding cell, right? What’s he saying?”

“Not a word, according to Cooper. Been sitting there in silence this whole time.”

“You two go home, get some sleep. I’ll talk to the incoming shift, see if they can get some answers.” 

Pansy was  _ Pansy _ , but Harry didn’t think she’d stand up for the Notts like that if they really had gotten mixed up with Dark magic. She had genuinely changed over the years. He saw the way she lit up when Charlie entered a room, no matter how much she tried to conceal it. It reminded him of how Astoria had Draco wrapped round her finger, and of course Snape came to mind as well. Once a Slytherin fell for someone, they’d follow them to the ends of the earth. Harry could relate to that; it’s how he felt about Ginny. Maybe that was the real reason the Hat wanted to put him there. 

Harry snapped out of his musings; there was a job to do. He had assumed that this Nott business would be an open-and-shut case, but this work continually reminded him of the dangers in jumping to conclusions. He sighed. Didn’t he have enough on his plate already? Harry did a few pitiful stretches and waved his wand at the kettle. He could tell it would be a long day. 


	2. Two

“If I had the final say I’d have denied your petition, but that wife of yours has managed to get you bailed out,” said the Auror who came to release Theo after a sleepless night in a holding cell. 

Fuck, this was not what he wanted. Now they were going to think he talked to the Aurors. Daph would be in even more danger. He had to get home as soon as possible.

Theo was sent out of the Ministry through the telephone box elevator, and he started walking down the street looking for a place to Apparate. A Muggle car horn honked impatiently, getting his attention. The window rolled down to reveal Tracey behind the wheel.

“Get in; we need to get out of here,” she called out. Theo hesitated, and she hit the horn again. He approached the vehicle reluctantly. 

She wasn’t alone in the car; Pansy was in the front passenger seat. They were dressed in Muggle clothing. Tracey was wearing a University of Oxford sweatshirt, while Pansy had on a top with “Save the Unicorns” emblazoned on it. Theo opened the backseat door and climbed inside, coming face to face with Charlie Weasley.

“Alright, mate?” he said with a friendly smile.

“What the fuck is going on?” he responded.

Pansy turned around in her seat to face him. “Blaise found the secret compartment at your workstation at the D.o.M. Why didn’t you tell us, Theo?”

“Thought I could handle it myself,” he muttered.

“I’ll shout at you about it later,” said Pansy, fixing him with a serious gaze before her facial expression relaxed again. “You need to blend in if we have to stop for petrol, so ditch the robes,” she said. Then she aimed her wand and Transfigured his trousers into Muggle denim. “Here, put these on. Don’t complain, we were in a hurry and it’s all I could find.” She tossed the folded garments in the back seat; Theo raised an eyebrow but acquiesced and swapped his collared shirt for a too-large T-shirt and a similarly sized hand-knitted jumper with a “C” on it.

“Where’s Daph? Is she alright?” Theo asked impatiently.

“She’s safe. She’s someplace whoever’s after you won’t think to look, and if they do, they’ll have a hell of a time getting to her.”

“She’s at my brothers’ office above the joke shop,” clarified Charlie. “They’ll look after her, I promise.”

“So where are we going?”

“We are going to drive on the motorways until the others determine who’s been threatening you and Daphne. It’s best to keep moving and remain on major roads with too much Muggle visibility for anyone to try and have a go at you.” Tracey answered.

“Why aren’t you at Hogwarts, anyway?” Theo asked Tracey.

“I told Minerva I had to leave for a family emergency in Muggle London.”

Pansy snorted. “Yeah, her Muggle grandfather she’s never mentioned before called James Bond.”

“I panicked, alright? Didn’t think she was going to ask for a name. There’s no way she knows anything about Muggle films anyway...oi, you wanker! Did you see him cut me off, Pans? Merlin, I wish I could hex them. Learn how to drive, people!” Tracey yelled.

“It’s fine, Tracey, you’re doing great,” said Charlie in a calm voice. 

“Cheers, keep the encouragement coming as long as I have to share the road with these idiots...right, Theo,” she said, returning to the larger matter at hand, “we haven’t been able to find out who sent the threats yet, but Blaise is still studying the letters and photographs for any clues. Daphne’s been coordinating everyone to gather information and get the bail money sorted, after Pansy did her thing at the DMLE.”

“Hey, that was high art. I bet those Aurors will be scarred for life, at least I hope so,” Pansy said. “Oh, and I almost forgot, I made a playlist for this little road trip! Charlie, give me the mobile.” He passed it forward and Pansy and Tracey fiddled and bickered up front until they got it connected and the car was flooded with the sounds of Muggle music.

Theo leaned back in his seat, willing to go along with anything given the assurance that his wife would be okay. After about thirty minutes, he gave into his exhaustion, and fell asleep despite the commotion caused by his friends’ voices and the music. 

The next thing he knew, Charlie was shaking him awake and showing him the mobile screen where text messages in all capital letters were displayed.

“HELLO CHARLIE.

IT WAS BYRON TRAVERS BEHIND THE THREATS.

GOT HIM IN CUSTODY NOW.

SAYS HE WAS HIRED BUT WON’T SAY WHO.

MEET US AT WWW.

THIS IS RON, BY THE WAY.”

Charlie grinned. “Ron’s pants at texting. He still doesn’t understand that I already know it’s him.”

“Where are we?”

“Just took an exit, we’ll find a good place for Apparition and then I’ll take this back to the rental car company,” Tracey said.

Theo was a bit groggy, so Charlie had to Side-Along him. They walked through the usual chaos of the shop floor to the staircase, where they ascended. Daphne was there, looking out the window nervously, along with Blaise, Ron, George, and a few other Weasley family members.

Of course, Daphne didn’t hear them coming, but Angelina tapped her on the shoulder and she turned back around. As soon as she saw Theo, she ran over and wrapped her arms around him. Then she punched him in the shoulder a few times, albeit not very hard. Her fingers flew, cursing him out in BSL, and then she started speaking out loud which was something she rarely did anymore. “Theodore Nott, I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me! I know you can’t talk about your work most of the time, but when someone intimidates you into giving them your classified Time-Turner project, that’s when you say something!” He let Daph rant some more, but then she started to cry and that was far, far worse.

“I’m sorry,” he both said and signed. “I’m sorry, Daphne. I was scared and I didn’t know if anyone would believe me.”

“I would have believed you, Nott,” said a voice from the top of the stairs. It was Potter. He was so focused on his wife that Theo hadn’t even noticed that he had arrived. “I know you’ve had to deal with suspicion for years from my office, but we would have taken you seriously.”

“I’ve worked hard to ensure I’ll never be like him,” he said, referring to his estranged, incarcerated father. “But people still talk, and the things they say...I love Daph. She’s everything to me. I would  _ never _ hurt her. Never treat her like he did my mum. And I’d never choose the Dark Arts over my wife.”

“I know,” Harry said softly. Daphne embraced him again, then kissed him with as much fire as she had when they were teenagers in the aftermath of a battle. 

“Yes, yes, love conquers all, isn’t that beautiful, but do we know who hired Travers yet?” Pansy interjected.

“Not yet, but whoever did was willing to pay a large amount of Galleons for it. That’s all we were able to get out of him so far.”

“The Aurors will keep investigating,” Ron assured the Slytherins. “At least we can prove you didn’t do this willingly. If they went after Hermione, and I felt like I couldn’t trust anyone, I probably would have done the same.”

The others made gestures of agreement, and then people started putting forth ideas about who might have wanted a Time-Turner for themselves.

The group’s speculation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps leading upstairs. To everyone’s surprise, Andromeda Tonks strode into the room. “Ginny told me you would be here. Turns out Lucius was behind this Time-Turner scheme,” Andromeda announced. She held up a handful of vials. “I have the confession and relevant memories right here,” she said, handing the evidence to Harry.

“How the hell did you get that?” Theo asked, echoing the sentiment of the whole room.

“Last-Minute Narcissa comes through again,” the elder Black sister said wryly, and Mrs. Malfoy stepped out from behind the shadows.

“Lucius had a fit when he found out they arrested Travers,” she said. “He suddenly wanted me to be able to account for his whereabouts, and I got the whole story out of him. He wasn’t planning what you think; it was more personal, and I’m not going to get into it. He didn’t think Travers would go as far as to--well, he wasn’t thinking. I couldn’t stand by and let young Theodore’s life be ruined by my husband’s mistake. Draco is grieving, and isolating himself, and he’s going to need friends.”

“Your husband’s going to face serious charges,” warned Harry.

“I’m aware. I do hope that his full confession will be taken into consideration, however.”

“It will.”

Narcissa inclined her head in thanks; Harry recognised the respect she was giving him in the gesture.

“Let’s go, Cissy. I don’t want to miss my weekly bridge game. I must maintain my winning streak.”

“I’m sorry, again, for all this,” Theo said after the two sisters left. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me and Daph.”

“We’ll always be there for you, mate,” declared Blaise. “All you have to do is ask.”

Theo smiled, pulling Daphne close again to remind him that she was safe and well. “By the way, I didn’t get to ask in the car--what exactly did Pansy do at the DMLE?”

“They were interrogating Daph about you, so I made a scene,” she said.

“A scene? More like a bloody West End revue,” Harry countered. 

Pansy preened. “Oh, how I would love to see my name in lights. What do you think, Charlie? A one woman show,” she said dreamily.

“Er, no comment,” he replied, making everyone laugh.

George looked at his watch. “It’s nearly time to close up anyway, how about we go down the pub and continue this impromptu school reunion.”

As the group made their way out of the shop, Harry got Daphne’s attention.

“I wanted to apologise for the lack of Deaf accommodations in our office. We should be doing more to support people with disabilities instead of just barely complying with the law. I’ve talked to Hermione, and she wants to meet with you.”

“That would be great,” signed Daphne, her wand translating the words into speech. 

“Brilliant, she’ll send you an owl.”

“It means a lot, to be seen as equal. Merlin knows I didn’t get it until I  _ got _ it. Funny how life works like that.” 

Daphne might never be an activist like Hermione or a natural leader like Harry, but she was proud of who she had become. Proud to be a Deaf witch, proud to be Mrs. Nott, and proud to be a part of a somewhat dysfunctional but always loyal group of Slytherins. 


End file.
